New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts: Previews And Predictions

New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts

Tom Brady may have been singing Andrew Luck’s praises all week, but these two teams will be all business once they hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium this Sunday night.

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FanSided has the Patriots ranked at the top of the league in this week’s power rankings, and this isn’t exactly an outlier prediction – Tom Brady and his right-hand man Rob Gronkowski (otherwise known as Colts head coach Chuck Pagano’s Worst Nightmare) have been dominant this season, recording five consecutive wins to take the lead in the AFC East.

The Colts aren’t some pushover for the New England team, though; they’re at the top of the NFL with a league-high average 32.2 points per game and a league-low average 13 points against in the first quarter.

Neither team has the advantage in snow, so expect a wintry battle this Sunday that doesn’t yield a clear-cut winner until the bitter end.

Details for Sunday Night’s game are below:

Date: Sunday, November 16th
Time: 7:30 p.m. (CST)
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Arena: Lucas Oil Stadium
TV Info: NBC
Ticket Info: For Indianapolis Colts ticket information, click here. For New England Patriots ticket information, click here.

Keys to Victory:

The New England Patriots have both experience and momentum on their side, with an established league-elite quarterback and five straight wins under their belt.

Don’t sleep on the Indianapolis Colts, though — Andrew Luck is currently ranked second in the league on the Football Outsider’s DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) rankings, falling only to Peyton Manning in both situational value and comparative value in relation to any alternative Indianapolis could have on the field. He’s fast becoming not just a household name in the league, but a truly dangerous player for anyone opposing him.

The Patriots will have to start the game off with strong scoring chances in order to pull clearly ahead by the fourth quarter, as the Colts have relied on smothering the opposition early on to earn their 6-3 record. This could be easier than anticipated. The Colts have already struggled against New England in the past without Gronkowski in the lineup, so his addition could boost the Pats past Luck and his team early enough in the game to maintain a strong lead.

There’s nothing easy about playing a team that knows how to start the game off with a bang, though, and the Patriots may have finally met their match in the AFC South leaders. Indianapolis has the home field advantage, and although New England holds a 48-29 overall record against the Colts, this could be the game where they turn things around.

Expect this AFC Playoff rematch to be four solid quarters of incredible football.

Betting Odds:

Point Spread: New England -115, Indianapolis -105
Over/Under: 57.5
Moneyline: New England +130, Indianapolis -150

Predictions:

The New England Patriots have been absolutely dominant, and the Colts know it. You can’t underestimate their determination to redeem themselves for last year’s playoffs, though… this game will come down to the wire.

Simply because I’m a Bostonian at heart, though, I have to lend my voice of authority to the hometown team: Brady’s going to bring home at least one more win in this streak.